Clubs: Brescia Calcio, FC Internazionale Milano, Reggina Calcio (loan), Brescia Calcio (loan), AC Milan, Juventus

• Began with his home-town club Brescia but had an unsettling start to his career, notably with Inter, before eventually finding his feet at rivals Milan, where he arrived in 2001.

• A star turn for Italy's Under-21 side, he captained the Azzurrini to the European title in 2000, scoring twice in the final against the Czech Republic, and also played at two Olympic Games, in Sydney and Athens; made his senior debut in September 2002.

• Followed a UEFA Champions League win in 2003 with Scudetto success 12 months later and a place in Italy's squad for UEFA EURO 2004, where he made two appearances.

• Starred at the 2006 World Cup finals as Italy lifted the trophy, starting all seven games and being named man of the match in three fixtures, including the semi-final and the final; won an international treble of UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with Milan the following season.

• A scorer of a spectacular long-range strike in a 3-2 win at Real Madrid CF on matchday 3 of the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League, he was called up to the FIFA World Cup finals the following summer but a calf injury reduced his contribution to a cameo role in the final group game, a 3-2 defeat by Slovakia.

• In May 2011, a few days after finishing the season as a Serie A winner, he announced he was leaving the Rossoneri on a free transfer to join Juventus; his first season with the Bianconeri brought another Serie A title as Pirlo started 37 games in the league – a career best.

• Played all six games and was again named man of the match in three fixtures as Italy finished as runners-up to Spain at UEFA EURO 2012, Pirlo making the Team of the Tournament.

• Played in all ten of Juve's UEFA Champions League games as they progressed to the quarter-finals of the 2012/13 competition, only to be defeated by eventual winners FC Bayern München, but guided his side successive Scudettos the same season.

UEFA honours
UEFA European Championship: runner-up 2012
UEFA EURO 2012: Team of the Tournament
UEFA Champions League: winner 2003, 2007, runner-up 2005
UEFA Super Cup: winner 2003, 2007
UEFA European Under-21 Championship: winner 2000
UEFA.com users' Team of the Year: 2012